A. Devaneyan

Founder

A. Devaneyan is the founder of Thozhamai (2006)[1], an Indian non-profit working on women & children, human rights and education from Chennai.

A. Devaneyan, also known as Devaneyan Arasu, is an Indian child rights campaigner and the founder-director of Thozhamai, a civil society organisation based in Chennai. Thozhamai, whose name means solidarity in Tamil, was established in 2006 by Devaneyan with the late Suresh Dharma.

The organisation works as a resource centre on human rights, particularly the rights of children, young people and women from socially deprived communities, combining direct relief work with training, research and policy advocacy in Tamil Nadu.

Career

Devaneyan has directed Thozhamai since its founding, working on juvenile justice, child protection and the prevention of child marriage. The organisation contributed to the drafting of the Tamil Nadu State Policy for Children 2021 and to standard operating procedures for eliminating child marriage and strengthening village-level child protection committees. Devaneyan holds office in a number of state-level coalitions, networks and campaigns in Tamil Nadu and has served on committees constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He is a frequent speaker at training programmes on child rights and protection.

Thozhamai also undertook relief work during the 2015 Chennai floods.

Recognition

Devaneyan has received the Best Protector of the Rights of Children and Women award from the December 3 Movement, the Unsung Champion Award from the Dakshin Chennai Prabasi Cultural Association for his work during the 2015 Chennai floods, the Child Rights Defender Award from Sakthi Vidiyal, the Justice Shivaraj Patel award for Human Rights Defender – Service to Humanity, and the Guardian of Children Award from Ananda Vikatan.[2][3][4]

Thozhamai

Thozhamai started in 2006 as a human rights resource centre in Chennai and has grown into a child protection and rights organisation. It works with children and women in slum resettlement colonies, runs child safety education, and advocates on child rights policy in Tamil Nadu.

Thozhamai reports the following, on its own site: